On the Evanston lakefront, just steps from the Grosse Point Lighthouse, the Harley Clarke Mansion's lawns have been buzzing this summer with coffee pop-ups and a weekend beer garden. Now the property's longer-term transformation has cleared a key hurdle.

Celadon Company formally submitted its $29 million redevelopment plans for the mansion to the city on Tuesday, July 28, according to Evanston Now. The filing triggers what the outlet described as a Land Use Commission review that could stretch through the end of 2026. It marks the first major regulatory milestone since the City Council approved a 40-year lease with Celadon in March 2025.

The project would convert the 20,275-square-foot mansion at 2603 Sheridan Road into a community event venue with wedding and private event space, a restaurant, café, speakeasy-style bar, and retail shops open to the public. The adjacent coach house would become an educational center for native habitat stewardship called the Lighthouse Center for Native Habitat.

Scott Henry, president of Celadon and an architect who studied under Alfred Caldwell at the Illinois Institute of Technology, leads the Wilmette-based nonprofit, which specializes in adaptive reuse of historic buildings using federal and state historic tax credits. The company has already received approval from the State Historic Preservation Office confirming the property's eligibility for those credits, a critical piece of the project's financing.

The plan also allocates $3.2 million to restore the Jens Jensen Gardens surrounding the mansion. Celadon projects the full build will create 80 temporary construction jobs and 35 permanent positions.

The mansion, built in 1927 by utilities magnate Harley Lymon Clarke, was placed on Landmarks Illinois' Most Endangered list in 2016 after years of vacancy and community debate over its fate.

While awaiting construction approval, the property has been hosting summer programming: a coffee stand open Fridays through Mondays, an ice cream partnership with C&W Ice Cream of Evanston, and a beer garden on the East Lawn open Fridays through Sundays. The mansion also served as the post-race venue for the 27th Annual Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate on Sunday, June 21.

No specific hearing date has been announced. On its project website, Celadon states it expects construction to begin in fall 2026 and the mansion to open for tours and events in late 2027.